


Ocean Soul

by SeachelleMermaid



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Confusion, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Experimentation, Protective Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-10-30 12:36:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17828696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeachelleMermaid/pseuds/SeachelleMermaid
Summary: Steve and Bucky find a woman running naked down the side of the road near a destroyed Hydra base and decide to take her home. She doesn't speak and she keeps hissing at them. They can't figure out what is wrong with her but Bucky is determined to help her. Being a victim of Hydra, he thinks he can help her. He has no idea she isn't human at all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I rushed through this. I'll edit later. Does anyone even read original character stories anymore?

"Uh... Steve? What the hell?"

So many strange things had been happening all day. Fury had updated them about a hidden Hydra base but once they arrived, the whole place was on fire, having exploded only moments before. There was no way there were any survivors here. The sky was dark, a never-ending storm that didn't seem to be fading but was only getting stronger. The tornado watch was still in effect for the next few hours.

It was then that Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers found her, she was stumbling down the side of the road as the pair left what had been the base. The only thing she wore was a necklace, a single large pearl pendant. It seemed she was doing her best to get away from them stumbling along as fast as she could. The men rushed out of the car and ran to her, catching up easily.

She hissed at them, attempting to fight back despite her weakened state. The effort nearly made her faint, Bucky caught her and cradled her in his arms as she fought to breathe. She had scratches on her body, more concerning were the needle punctures that were clearly visible on her arms, wrists and even neck. She hissed again weakly, attempting to glare at the man who was supporting her.

"What happened to you?!" Steve asked, expecting her to be some sort of drug addict. What other reason would a fully grown woman be stumbling naked down a road and hissing at people? He pulled off his shirt and pulled it over her to cover her up.

Bucky moved her hair out of her face wanting to see her better. He did not expect to see familiar marks, marks he had once suffered from as well. Memories of being brainwashed flashed through his mind's eye and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until he was opening them to look back down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes gave off a faint glow and she bared her teeth at both of the men.

"Hydra had her..." Bucky said, pulling her skinny form closer to him.

"You're sure about this, Buck?" Steve looked at his companion sharply, it was not a light accusation to make.

"Trust me on this one..." He looked back down to the woman that was now dozing against his chest, too weak to even stay awake. "You're safe now, alright? Hydra can't hurt you anymore," Bucky reassured her.

She clutched at Bucky's shirt as he carried her to the vehicle. He was frowning as he thought about her behavior and the fact she was so close to the Hyrda base, there was no doubt in his mind she had been some sort of Guinea pig to them.

Steve hovered as Bucky placed her in the car, though as soon as they were both in Steve threw himself into the driver's seat and sent them all hauling ass down the road.  
"We need to take her to a hospital," Steve glanced at Bucky.

"No hospitals. We need to take her back with us. Examine her there... Hydra will be looking for her in hospitals." Bucky said, not looking away from her face. Both men seemed a bit surprised when she made a quiet purring sound and curled into Bucky her nose pressing to his neck.

"I wonder what her name is," Steve wondered out loud, not really surprised when he didn't get an answer.

The only choice was to take her back with them. She shivered and curled up tighter, so Bucky took his jacket off and wrapped it around her petite body. It seemed to stop her shivering for the moment. She opened her eyes and looked up at Bucky, roused from the added warmth.

"This is Steve, my name is James but you can call me Bucky."

Her eyes closed again and she let her head rest against Bucky's chest. Everything had happened to her so fast, but these two men were gentle with her. They had a completely different energy about them than the ones who had caught her, too. She understood a little of what they were saying to her, she had picked up a few words from the bad men that took her from her home. So she uttered one of those words she had learned.

"Help..."

"We're helping you, don't worry," Steve drove faster, that one word fueling his sense of urgency. 

 

* * *

 

Bucky could only watch the woman after she was placed on one of the tables so Bruce could examine her. She was unconscious now and the extent of her wounds now apparent. Burns and bruises added to the mess of scratches and punctures that marred her otherwise lovely flesh. Bruce made sure her body was covered with a blanket so nothing important might show, despite Steve's too big shirt.

"She recently had more than a few needles using her for a pin cushion," Bruce said. He examined every inch of her, treated the burns and cleaned all of the open cuts on her legs,   
"I can take some blood to check if there are any infections and run toxicology for possible drugs. If Hydra had her though, God only knows what she has in her. Did she say anything when you found her?" 

"Nothing at all. She seemed to take an interest in Bucky, though."

"Did she?" Bruce laughed when Bucky crossed his arms and looked away from them.

Bruce retrieved what he needed to draw her blood, a sterile tray waiting with the needed instruments. He carefully turned her arm and lined up the needle to her vein and proceeded to carefully insert it. The last thing he wanted was to rupture the already traumatized river.

The woman's eyes shot opened and she kicked the man away from her, sending Bruce across the room, jerking the needle out of her arm with an angry hiss. She lurched from the table and landed hard, a pained grunt escaping her even though her wide eyes sought any exit she could find. Bucky crouched so he was at her eye level and moved slow, his hands held to either side as if to say 'stop'.

"Hey, calm down... you're safe. We are trying to help," he spoke quietly.

She looked at the others, then to Bucky, hissing again. Bruce was still recovering his self-control after being attacked so suddenly.

"Stay calm, she's panicking! She's just confused and that is very understandable." Steve stood near Bruce. Possibly not a good idea but he had to keep him calm.

"We just want to help you." Bucky said softly, "I was a victim of Hydra as well. I know you're scared. I was too."

The hiss she let out this time was more of an exhale. She understood most of what he said, he was in her position and wanted to help. The men did seem concerned about her unlike the other ones from before. Hydra, they had called themselves.

"We won't hurt you." Bucky stepped closer to her and held out a hand. The men were confused when she leaned down to sniff it just before slowly tapping it with her own fingers. Eventually, she took his hand and let him lead her back to the table.

He felt a connection with her, he knew they were both victims of Hydra. He knew she would more than likely need his help recovering from everything.

Bruce, finally calm after realizing the woman only attacked out of fear, was not getting anywhere near this woman with a needle again. Instead, he collected the small amount he managed to get inside the syringe and began running tests on it.

"Listen." Bruce opened the door and wasn't surprised Natasha was on the other side, "Just try and help her feel safe. I'll run with what I have. When I get any sort of ID, I'll find you. Sound good?"

The redhead looked at the woman then at the three men. It was obvious she wanted to ask more than a few questions but instead, she sighed and approached the woman. She seemed more tolerant of Natasha, perhaps it was the fact she was another female.

"Name?" She asked her.

Steve spoke from her side, "She doesn't talk."

"Are you hungry?" Natasha watched the woman answer her question with a curious expression and a slight purr in her throat, "Then let's get you something to eat."

The woman happily bounced after Natasha and the men were left wondering why they didn't call her, to begin with. Bucky and Steve went with them to the kitchen area. First, an apple was handed to her. The white-haired woman sniffed it but didn't take it from her. She looked around and saw several fruits in decorative dishes. Each one was picked up, only to be smelled and put back down. She didn't seem satisfied with anything they handed her until Steve pulled out a pack of crab meat and opened it. She nearly knocked him over trying to grab it from him.

"Okay, shellfish. She likes shellfish."

"Maybe we should start calling you Captain Obvious now instead of Captain America." Natasha joked while the woman devoured the crabmeat, "Here, see if she like sardines."

"Ah, nobody likes sardines." Steve opened the can with a disgusted look but the woman reached and grabbed the small fish inside, eating them as well, "Okay, one person likes sardines."

"Then I guess we are going to a fish market tomorrow." Natasha sat down and continued to watch the woman.

She seemed perfectly healthy. Her hair was a bit odd, not many young women had naturally white hair but there wasn't any way this was dyed. Her pale skin seemed to have a slight glow to it in the kitchen lights. The unnatural blue coloring of her eyes was a bit offputting.

"What do we do with her?" Bucky was thinking aloud to himself. 

Natasha and Steve both shrugged. She had strength, that was for sure. She had managed to kick Bruce across the room very easily, "We could recruit her."

"Her?" Steve pointed to the white-haired woman who was now opening and closing one of the kitchen cabinet doors, clearly amused.

"Yes, her. Who else would I be talking about, Rogers?"

"She doesn't even speak, how do we recruit someone who doesn't speak?"

"Sign language, genius."

"Really? That's not what I meant and you know it."

"HEY!" Bruce interrupted the argument between Steve and Natasha. They had been so focused on each other, they had failed to realize he was even in the room, "I ran several tests to find out our lady's name..."

"And?"

"She doesn't have one."

Natasha cocked her head to the side, "What do you mean she doesn't have one?"

"I can't find anything about her. No name, no family, no records, nothing. It's like she doesn't exist."

The woman wasn't paying attention to any one of them anymore, now focusing on running water in the sink.

"I tried finding a DNA test and the blood I managed to get out of her..." He looked at the papers again, an uneasy expression on his face as if he were not sure he wanted to keep talking until Natasha urged him on.

"What's wrong?"

"The blood wasn't human blood."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at trying to make chapters long... I hope this doesn't suck.

It had been a week since the strange woman had come into their lives. She was now living in safety with the Avengers. Bucky refused to let her leave and have Hydra find her again. He kept an eye on her as much as he possibly could. Tony wasn't happy about her being there but soon found how amusing it was watching her learn about everything.

"It's like she's five!" He had said with an amused smile on his face. Fury didn't have much to say about her. He only gave them a warning to not let her run off. If she ran off and caused trouble, the blame would be on them. The day after bringing her to the tower, Bucky had brought her some salmon to eat when she looked at him and smiled, saying a single word to him.

"Friend."

After discovering she could in fact speak, Natasha made it her mission to teach her how to communicate correctly with others. It seemed she was a fast learner. She was already speaking in almost perfect sentences after a few days. 

"The only problem now is getting her to shut up," Tony muttered as the woman went on and on about the cell phone in her hand. "Did nobody think to ask her what her name was since she learned to talk?"

She exhaled quickly in annoyance and gave Tony a glare, handing him his phone back, "A name... I do not have one."

Now he felt like an ass, "So, I'm guessing Hydra has had you for a while then."

"No. Few weeks." She picked up a plum from the fruit bowl inspecting it, "Bad men tried to hurt me, I hurt them instead. Made whole place burn."

"So you were the one who blew up the Hydra base?" Steve asked.

"Yes. No one lived." 

It was hard to believe one unarmed woman could blow up an entire fortress full of armed men and, most likely, experiments. Even for a super soldier, it would take some time to get out without being slightly injured.

Tony continued the questions, "Your parents didn't give you a name?"

"No. Only eldest sister has name. She is special. She over all."

Steve scratched his head, looking at Tony. The black haired man watched the woman for a few minutes before asking, "Where are you from?"

"Far in ocean."

"Far in ocean," He repeated in a disbelieving tone. " Far over the ocean? So... Overseas?"

She blinked, perplexed and still trying to comprehend words, "Yes."

Watching them from the island in the kitchen area, Bucky stood and bit into the plum he had selected. He was trying not to be annoyed with her vague answers since he understood she couldn't communicate very well yet, though it was still trying. He still needed to try to convince her to let them take a blood sample so they could check for anything harmful in her body. The last time they tried Bruce was unfortunate enough to get his butt kicked by the petite female, for not even a few drops in the syringe. 

Just then Sam came in from his run, it was about that time. His arms were stretched above his head in part of his cool down, looking at Bucky with his usual playful insult, "Hey, Tinman. Move your butt so I can get to the fridge."

Bucky moved, taking another bite out of the plum he was savoring. He watched when the unnamed woman hissed and stood up. A scowl on her features as she walked over to him and grabbed him by his vibranium arm, if looks could kill Sam would have been bleeding out on the floor.

"He calls you friend. Friends do not insult each other. You leave room now," she was attempting to drag him from the room. Her violet eyes looked into Bucky's blue ones, "You are good. Do not let others say different."

She led him away by his metal arm from the others before Bucky or Sam could explain their playful insults towards each other. With the plum still in his teeth, he couldn't speak to tell her it was totally okay. When they were alone, he finally took the bite out of the fruit and chewed it. She looked up at him again and moved a strand of hair that had fallen over his eyes.

"You are good. Do not listen to that man."

"No, look. We just joke like that with each other." He explained.

She blinked, "What is joke?"

"Oh... Yeah, just a joke. A joke can be harmless fun. At least, it's supposed to be harmless fun. Sometimes friends will joke with each other and call each other mean things, knowing the mean things are not true."

"So you are not sad." Her eyes dropped from his gaze as she was in deep thought, "So different here. Home has no jokes."

It appeared she was lost in memories, her eyes looking straight through him. For a quick second, a soft smile graced her face. When she snapped out of it, she looked up at him.

"You okay?"

"Yes." She ran her fingers over his arm, tracing the red star, "Pretty."

"Oh, uh... Thank you." That was one he never heard before. Most people outside the Avengers see his arm and recognize him as the Winter Soldier. Good things never came from it. Many things had been said about his arm but 'pretty' wasn't one of them. He was unaware of the smile on his lips. There was a strong innocence about her but also a hidden strength. It was hard not to admire her.

"I am sorry I have no name." She whispered.

Bucky smiled, "You do have a name."

"I do?"

He touched the necklace she wore, his thumb rubbing over the smoothness of it, "Your name is Pearl."

She frowned at him, "Pearl?" Her hand lifted to touch the treasure too, though her fingers met his hand instead.

"Sorry," he seemed a bit embarrassed as his hand dropped back to his side.

"I love my name. Pearl." She smiled, pink touching her cheeks, "My name is Pearl."

"You like it?"

"I like like like it! So much!"

Bucky couldn't stop smiling, "You love it."

"Love?"

"Love is a feeling when you 'like like like' something or someone." This was getting awkward, trying to explain love to someone. He had never thought he would have to do something such as this. He prayed he wouldn't be the one to give her the birds and the bees talk. He was terrible at this stuff.

"Hey, Buck. You-"

*HISSS*

"Whoa! Calm down, hot stuff! I'm just trying to ask Bucky a question!" Tony had to jump back when the woman lunged toward him.

"Not hot stuff. Name is Pearl."

Tony narrowed his eyes, "I thought you didn't have a name."

"I just named her that." Bucky scratched his head, "She deserves a name."

"He name me." Pearl was so proud of her  name and was so happy that Bucky gave her one, "Pearl named by one she loves."

"By one she loves, huh? Okay then." Tony smirked and left the room, yelling what he was just told to the others.

"Pearl thank Bucky for new name."

"You're welcome." He smiled.

Bucky figured with her white hair and the necklace she wore, Pearl seems to be an appropriate name. It seemed to make her happy, at least. He wasn't sure she understood the meaning of love yet. There was no way she could think she was in love with him but that didn't stop Tony from starting inside jokes.

"I think your friend has a girlfriend now, Rogers." Tony grabbed an apple and bit into it, "He gave her a name. She said she was named by the one she loved."

"She has a name now?" Steve asked.

"I do. My name is Pearl." Pearl said as she entered the room with Bucky behind her, "Bucky name me."

Natasha, who had just entered the room moments before the two came back, smiled and approached her, "The proper way to say that is 'Bucky has given me a name' so try saying that."

"Bucky... Has given me a name..."

"Good girl." She leads her out of the room, "We should continue your lessons."

"I was better."

"Way better. But you need to improve."

After the two women left the room, everyone's eyes turned to Bucky. Tony crossed his arms, ready to start with his joking but Sam held a hand up to stop him. Bucky was in deep thought and was clearly not in the mood for any of Tony's banter. He couldn't stop thinking about Bruce saying her blood wasn't human along with how she was acting.

Sam playfully pat his back to get his attention, "You okay, man?"

"Hm... Yeah, just... Thinking."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Aren't we all?"

Pearl went through the next few hours with Natasha and her lessons. It was times like this she was thankful she was a fast learner but she couldn't let the others find out what she really was. Others that had traveled and helped humans came back with scars and missing limbs if they came back at all. Humans were always said to be evil creatures but Bucky and his friend had helped her. They gave her clothes, food, and made sure she was safe. Bucky had even given her a name. She wanted to stay with these humans. They were all trustworthy and she was happy to help him in return for helping her. Pearl had been furious when Hydra found her, trying to take her abilities for themselves. They were weak and easily taken care of but then Bucky and Steve came along.

Just like her kind, there were some humans that were good and some that were bad. Not all were evil as she had been taught. But just in case, she was going to hide what she really was. She wouldn't want them to abandon her or worse... Fear her. So, she would try to avoid the one they called Bruce. He seemed to be the main one focused on trying to get her blood but she understood now, it was to check and make sure she wasn't sick. The others wanted it for bad, they knew what she was. But these people wanted it for good, having no idea of the power she held.

She could only hope their opinions of her wouldn't change if they ever found out.


End file.
